The Catholic Parish of Blessed John Henry Newman

Covering most of East Leeds

A Little Learning.

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The school inspector was visiting St Theresa's school. He had almost completed his inspection, when he entered the final classroom and saw the teacher in conversation with Fr Pat and going over to them he introduced himself. He was told that they were having a lesson in religious education; he spoke to some of the pupils and examined their work. Finally, he returned to the front of the class and told the pupils he was most impressed with the standard of their work, but before leaving he would like to ask them a question they would all be able to answer. Looking at a sea of attentive faces he asked, "Can you tell me who knocked down the walls of Jericho?" A little lad sitting in the front put his hand up and said, "Please sir it wasn't me." The boy sitting next to him said," "It definitely wasn't him sir" and a chorus of voices chimed up all saying the same thing, that it wasn't them who damaged the wall. The inspector was now getting slightly annoyed and approaching Fr Pat said, "Someone in this room must know who knocked down the walls of Jericho, do you?"

Looking at him for a moment, Fr Pat replied, "I know my children, and if they say they didn't do it, then I believe them."

The inspector returned to his office and made his report and some days later was summoned to the office of the Chief Education Officer, who had his report on his desk. "Look," said his boss "You gave this school a really good report, apart from this business of knocking the wall down; just tell me where it is and I will send a maintenance gang down there first thing on Monday morning to repair the damage, we don't want the press hearing about this , do we?" I have since spoken to Fr Pat and he is quite adamant, that the children at St Theresa's are completely innocent of any damage caused to the walls of Jericho.

"Lord, we pray that we may always have a listening ear and an open heart."